1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a transferring and sorting apparatus adapted to sort articles by sending the articles selectively in the lateral direction of a transfer passage while transferring the articles.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The conventional transferring and sorting apparatuses of this kind include an apparatus of a system in which the articles on a conveyor constituting a transfer passage are forced out sideways by a scraper or a pusher, and an apparatus of a system in which a carriage or a slat running along a transfer passage is inclined sideways to drop sideways the articles from the carriage or slat by utilizing the gravity of the articles. However, the types of articles to be sorted by these apparatuses are limited, i.e., small articles, bulk articles, light articles, thin articles and articles having irregular bottom surfaces, which cannot be transferred by any means but a belt conveyor, cannot be sorted properly by these apparatuses.
The apparatuses which can be used for transferring and sorting such articles include the apparatus disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-open No. 98580/1973.
In this transferring and sorting apparatus, an endless sorting belt (cloth belt) is provided in a transfer body (chassis structure), which is moved along a transfer passage (C rails), in such a manner that the sorting belt can transfer articles in the direction which crosses the direction of movement of the transfer body. This sorting belt is passed around driving pulleys (rollers), which are connected via a transmission gear to a friction wheel (pinion or pulley) provided under the transfer body so that the friction wheel can be laterally turned. Left and right friction members (racks, friction racks, V-belts, or rack units) and a guide unit (guide rod or guide member) which are relative to the friction wheel are provided in predetermined positions on the transfer passage. The friction wheel of the transfer body in motion is guided laterally by the guide unit and engaged with one of the two friction members, whereby the turning movement of the friction wheel, which is rolled with respect to this friction member, is transmitted to the driving pulleys to turn the driving pulleys selectively in the forward or reverse direction depending on a friction member selected. Consequently, the sorting belt is driven selectively toward one or the other side portion of the transfer passage.
However, the transferring and sorting apparatus disclosed in the above-mentioned publication, which is provided with the friction wheel (pinion or pulley) under the transfer body (chassis structure) so that the friction wheel can be turned laterally like a pendulum, is constructed in such a manner that, when an article sorting operation is started, the friction wheel is guided by the guide unit (guide rod or guide member) on the side of the transfer passage (C rails) toward one of the two friction members (racks, friction racks, V-belts, or rack units) fixed to the transfer passage, so as to be engaged therewith. Therefore, it is necessary that the friction wheel be set in the intermediate neutral position during a regular operation of the apparatus. This causes the construction of a support structure for the friction wheel to be complicated, and the numbers of parts and assembling steps to increase. Moreover, it is difficult to reliably engage the friction wheel with the friction member and maintain this engagement. Consequently, the operation of the apparatus tends to be unreliable, and noise occurs while the pendulum-like friction wheel is guided laterally. Since the guide unit is always in the position in front of the sorting position in which the friction members are provided, the distance between the longitudinally adjacent sorting positions increases.